How do you perform the long jump?

A:

Quick Answer

The long jump is a track and field event where the jumper aims to land as far as possible from a designated takeoff point. The distance covered, known as the mark, is measured from the nearest impression to the takeoff point made in the pit by any part of the body.

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Long jumpers are allowed a running start from a runway of at least 40 meters. Competitors are allowed to place two marks along the side of the runway to assist in the timing of the jump.

The athlete must take off in front of the far edge of the takeoff line. Should the competitor begin the leap with any part of the foot past the line, the jump is ruled a foul, and no distance is recorded.

The track and field event has been a fixture since the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, and it has been a women's event since 1948. In the Olympic event, athletes compete in a qualifying round to earn a spot in the final. The person with the longest single jump during the final wins.

As of 2014, the world record men's jump is 29 feet, 4.25 inches, set by American Mike Powell in August of 1991. The women's record belongs to the Soviet Union's Galina Chistyakova, who recorded a 24-foot, 8-inch leap in June 1988.